Paul N. Keller
Email: pkeller@ancelglink.com
Member: American Bar Association, Local Government Section; Chicago Bar Association; International Municipal Lawyers Association; Illinois Municipal League, Home Rule Attorneys Committee
Education: Albion College (B.A. 1969); Wayne State University School of Law (J.D. 1972)
Practice Areas: Municipal Law, Zoning, Land Use and Development, Employment, Legislation, Utilities, Licensing
Bio:
Paul Keller is admitted to the bars of the United States Supreme Court, Illinois Supreme Court, Michigan Supreme Court, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the federal courts of appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the District of Columbia Circuit, and the federal district courts for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar) and the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Mr. Keller served for twenty years as city attorney of the City of Park Ridge, Illinois. In that capacity, he was chief legal counsel to the mayor, clerk, treasurer, city council, manager and all department heads. He advised all boards and commissions, including the library board, plan commission, license review board, zoning board, and civil service commission. He drafted all ordinances and other legislative documents, edited the municipal code, and drafted or reviewed all contracts. He negotiated utility, cable and telecommunication franchise agreements. He designed the city's first liquor license law and the real estate transfer tax. He supervised traffic court prosecution and personally prosecuted housing court and demolition cases. He was lead counsel for the city in litigation relating to zoning and land use, construction, annexation, eminent domain, police powers, employment, taxation and many other matters, and represented the city in the Illinois Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court.
As a private admiralty lawyer, Mr. Keller was lead counsel in the landmark case of Zych v. The Lady Elgin, a ten-year lawsuit concerning historic preservation and title to the famous Lake Michigan shipwreck, in which the Illinois Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Mr. Keller's client. He also wrote the amicus brief on the legal history of the Civil War in United States v. Steinmetz, concerning title to the bell from the wreck of the Confederate raider, C.S.S. Alabama.
Formerly a police officer, Mr. Keller served as legal advisor to the Detroit Police Department, as consultant to the Police Foundation and as national coordinator of police legal advisor programs at the International Association of Chiefs of Police, in Washington, D.C. He taught law and police administration at the Traffic Institute of Northwestern University and practiced labor and employment law as general counsel to regional associations of police, fire and public works employees.
Paul's wife, Lesslie, a CPA, is Treasurer and Director of Finance and Administration for the Diocese of Chicago (Episcopal). Paul and Lesslie live in Park Ridge. Their daughter Melanie is a professional actor; Annie is a professional operatic singer; Charlie is a television production technician. Paul is a certified scuba instructor. He plays guitar, banjo and other folk instruments, and has appeared on stage with Breadline Theatre Company in Chicago.
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